26 complete and delicious salads to take to the office

How to prepare a salad for lunch?

If we sometimes tend to see salad as a starter, it is also available as a single dish. It just needs to be complete, balanced, and in a large enough portion to satisfy us. Lunch is the meal that is supposed to provide you with enough energy to last an entire afternoon. So there is no question of just putting a little lettuce and two slices of tomato. You guessed it, a mixed salad should ideally contain plants, proteins, but also starchy foods.

To read: 70 original salad recipes

As for fruits and vegetables, it's simple, since you just have to draw from the seasonal products available. Tomatoes and peppers in summer, endives in autumn, cabbage in winter and asparagus in spring… Not counting fruit for a sweet touch, there is no shortage of possibilities.
Then come proteins, provided by meat, fish and eggs, which can be replaced by tofu and legumes in a vegan version. As for cheese, it certainly contains proteins, but above all fats. This is why we will use it more for deliciousness than for its nutrients.
All that remains is to choose a starchy food. Pasta, bulgur and semolina will give you energy, especially if you choose whole grains. In fact, the latter are richer in fiber and vitamins than white cereals. They also promote the feeling of satiety, which helps avoid snacking, without causing blood sugar levels to skyrocket. People with gluten intolerance should instead turn to rice, potatoes and quinoa.

Finally, to further personalize your lunch box, don't hesitate to add seeds, oilseeds and croutons to your salad and accompany it with a homemade sauce. Traditional vinaigrette or revisited with spices, light yogurt sauce… It's up to you to decide what goes best with your salad.

Our tips for easily taking your salad to the office

To make transport easier, place the salad in a plastic box or glass jar. Check that the container is perfectly airtight, and that the juice from the food is not likely to escape. Just in case, place it in a bag or cooler separate from your office belongings. You never know what might happen during the journey.
Also, one of the most common mistakes when preparing a salad is to season it in advance. As a result, the sauce cooks the salad leaves, which lose all their crunch. So remember to pour it into a separate container, also airtight. This way you can add it at the last minute.

Right away: 26 salad recipes to take to work.